Weather-cap.



J. C. BOYTON 62 0. H. NICKERSON.

WEATHER CAP.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 20, I914.-

Patented May 1, 1917.

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ITED STATES PATENT OFFIE JOHN C. BOYTON AND OBIS H. NICKERSON, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WEATHER-CAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,039.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. Borrow and Oars H. Nrcxnnsox, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful 1mprovement in Weather-Caps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of fittings for electric conduits, which are known to the trade as weather caps, and which are for application to the upper end of a pipe conduit, for the purpose of excluding rain or snow therefrom, whereby the wires which are led through the weather-cap and conduit will be protected, beyond Where they enter the cap, against the effects of the weather. This invention has for one of its objects the provision of a cap of this nature which may be conveniently applied to a conduit and which, by reason of its construction, renders easy the subsequent leading of the wires through the cap. Another object is to so construct the device that it will act as an eificient watershed for the conduit, and to so form it that it will have no overhanging or protruding parts wherewith the wires might contact.

Heretofore fittings of this kind have been formed of a hollow integral metal casting, and because of the formation of the device it has been very difficult to lead the wires through it after it is applied to the conduit. In carrying out the above objects, we construct a weather-cap comprising a body portion or shell which is hollow and of a shape that will produce an effective water-shed; and we leave the greater portion of the underneath side of the shell open, and close a part of the open side with a member for application to the end of a conduit, and the other portion of said open side with a plate of insulating material having holes through which several wires may be led; now, as a further and more limited object of our invention, we provide a pair of screws for securing the member and plate in position, one of said screws being located adjacent each end of each the member and the plate, the screws being threaded into the shell and di verging outwardly therefrom in a manner that will cause them to separate as they are unscrewed to permit the member and plate to be removed without the necessity of entirely removing any of the screws.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective of our improved weather-cap applied to the end of an electric conduit; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the weather-cap; Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal section through the same; and Fig. & is a transverse section through the weather-cap taken substantially on the line 14 of Fig. 2.

The weather-cap comprises a shell 1 which has a curved top that merges into downwardly and outwardly diverging ends 2 and 3, said end walls and top being connected by downwardly and outwardly diverging side walls 4 and 5. This formation of the shell of the weather-cap is very desirable since it provides an efficient water-shed. The bottom of the shell is curved transversely, and has two rectangular openings 6 and 7 which are separated by a rib 8, and each end of each of the openings is formed with a depressed seat 9. It will be observed from Fig. 4, that the portions of the bottom which are occupied by the openings are in planes that are at an angle with respect to each other, and the purpose of this arrangement will be brought out hereinafter. Adapted to be fitted within the opening 6 is a member 10 comprising a curved base from which extends an internally threaded, hollow boss 11 for application to the threaded end of an electric conduit 12. hen in place, the ends of the base of the member 10 rest upon the seats 9, and the depression of said seats, being equal to the thickness of said base, causes the outer surface of the base to be substantially flush with the bottom surface of the shell. While I have shown the boss 11 as being straight (such form being required for the more common installation, for ap plication to the upper end of a vertical conduit) it is obvious that the boss may be of angular or L-shape formation for use under conditions where the conduit 12 projects horizontally through the side of a building.

A plate 14- of insulating material and having any suitable number of apertures 15, occupies the opening 7 in the bottom of the shell, and its ends rest upon the seats 9 which extend across the ends of the opening 7.

Threaded into the bottom of the shell adjacent each end of each of the openings 6 and 7, is a large headed screw 16, which screw enters the bottom of the shell at right angles thereto. Now, therefore, because of the transverse curvature of the bottom of the shell, it will be seen that the screws di verge outwardly from the shell as they are unscrewed in a manner that will permit the withdrawal of either the member 10 or the plate 14; after the screws have been unscrewed the required distance, and without the necessity of entirely removing any of the screws. lVhile it is not required, I prefer, however, to notch the ends of the mem ber 10 and the plate 14 for the accommodation of the screws in order that a greater bearing of the head of the screw upon the base of the member 10 and the plate 14, may be secured.

As previously stated, the opposed end portions of the bottom of the shell occupy planes which are at an angle with respect to each other. This arrangement allows the portions to which the member 10 is attached to occupy a horizontal position, or one which is at right angles to the vertical position of the conduit 13, as shown in Fig. 1; while the portion that is fitted with the insulating plate 14 is inclined upwardly therefrom to more nearly approach a right angle position with respect to the natural direction of the wires as they hang therefrom. It will be observed, also, that there are no protruding metal parts with which the wires may come in contact, thereby removing all danger of the wires becoming short-circuited through rubbing against a portion of the shell and having their insulation thus destroyed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claimis 1. A device of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a shell having a curved top and downwardly diverging sides and a transversely curved bottom, portions of the bottom being in planes which are angular with respect to each other, each por tion being provided with an opening, a depressed seat in each end of each of the openings, a member which is arranged to occupy one of the openings within the bottom of the shell, said member consisting of a base having a shape corresponding to the shape of the opening and a hollow internally threaded boss which is central and radial with respect to the base, a plate of insula'ting material for insertion. in the other of the said openings, said plate having aper tures for wires, the ends of the plate and the ends of the base of the aforesaid member having screw receiving notches, and screws threaded into the bottom of the shell adjacent each end of each of the openings and in a position to occupy the notches in the ends of the aforesaid plate and member, and having heads which overlie and engage the ends of said member and plate.

2. A device of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a shell having a transversely curved bottom that is provided with a plurality of openings, a member which is arranged to extend across each opening and curved to correspond to the transverse curvature of the bottom of the shell, a screw threaded into the bottom of the shell adjacent each end of each of the openings, the screws which are located at the opposite ends of the same opening diverging outwardly with respect to each other and having heads which overlie and engage the ends of the member that extends across their respective opening, wherefore each member may be completely removed from the shell upon a partial withdrawal of its respective screws.

3. A device of the character set forth comprising, in combination, a transversely symmetrical shell having an open bottom, a member adapted to extend across the open bottom of the shell, and a screw threaded into the shell on each side of its open bottom, the screws diverging outwardly with respect to each other and having heads which are adapted to overlie and engage the ends of the aforesaid member, wherefore said member may be completely removed from the shell upon a partial withdrawal of the screws.

In testimony whereof, I, JOHN C. Borrow, hereunto afiix my signature in the presence JOHN C. BOYTON.

of two witnesses.

Witnesses BRENNAN B. VVEsT, HUGH B. McGILL. In testimony whereof, I, OBIS H. NICKER- SON, hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OBIS H. NICKERSON. lVitnesses J. B. HULL, H. B. MoGILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

